"Over here," shouted a balding man, wearing an orange jumpsuit--neatly labeled MEDICAL STAFF. "Here it is, this is the gate, E 37," he continued. From across the expanse of Hartsfield International Airport, I watched as a team of medical personnel labored to pull a yellow, fiber-glass stretcher across the terminal. "This is it, this is the Brussels flight," panted a short, weary nurse. A team of five nurses and staff continued to maneuver an elderly lady, who must have been approaching a centennial celebration, to the gate. Sitting several hundred feet away, I glanced up, taking in the spectacle before me. Our Revolutionary War hero was clearly not in good shape. The team had secured her to a mattress, curled up, possibly duct taped, and attached to five IV bags--delivering a constant stream of life saving herbs or whole grains or whatever one needs when they are that old. As I finished eating my sandwich, I questioned the situation before me. First, it has been my longstanding belief that you can tell a lot about someone by the number of IV bags that are attached to them. I then continued thinking about the situation. Does the airline know how bad this woman is? Do they have a contingency plan in case she expires on board the aircraft? A nine hour flight has to be risky business for this lady. Would they land if she went code blue in the sky? Where? Do they just keep flying? What happens to the other passengers who are then forced to sit next to a dead lady? Do they cover her up? What if there are not enough blankets? Do they give bonus miles for flying next to a dead person? If so, how many? I bet it is a lot. Why is this woman going to Brussels? Do they have better socialized healthcare? Are they allowed to smoke drugs for medicinal purposes? Does she have something contagious? Oh God, what if she does? Does this medical team have the necessary experience to control the environment--establish safe zones in the aircraft? Will this lady start an epidemic? Have they even seen the movie "Outbreak?" All relevant questions at this point.
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